Identification of Human Cytomegalovirus by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Compared with Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to identify human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)among suspected patient in Sulaimani city by using PCR technique The serological testsare currently the only methods widely available in our country. However, newer methodse.g.: (PCR) for (HCMV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amplification can diagnoseHCMV disease in its very early stage. Thirty-six sera samples of patients who weresuspected by physician were collected at Sulaimani Public Health Laboratory from 13July to 24 August of 2008. The study for the detection of HCMV DNA was carried out,in Kurdistan Technology and Scientific Research. The study shows that (24) cases out of36 (66.67%) were positive by PCR. In the male group there were 7 (63.636%) positivecases from the total of 11 samples and in the female group 17 (68%) out of 25 sampleswere positive. In the abortion group there were 13 (68.421%) positive case from a totalof 19 samples. In suspected immunocompromised group from the total of 12 samples,HCMV DNA was detected in 7 (58.33%), and in the other cases 4 (80%) out of 5samples were seropositive. The sensitivity and specificity of serological tests for CMVIgM using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was 29.16 and 100%, whilethe sensitivity and specificity of serological test for CMV IgG was 70.83 and 25%respectively. This study confirms the results of the previous studies in that PCR can beconsidered as gold standard.